The perfect place to live?these residents seem to think so...
Kidwelly has been named one of the best places to live in Wales. Here’s what local residents had to say to CAITLIN ARLOW about the news
DRIVING into the little picturesque town of Kidwelly, visitors are greeted with beautiful homes, a long canal, and a historic castle alongside beautiful little coffee shops and unique independent stores. It doesn’t take long for anyone to realise the reason why this gorgeous town has been named one of the best places to live in the UK.
Last week, property finder company Garrington’s published its marketing report on this year’s best places to live in Wales, Scotland and England. The seaside town of Kidwelly was ranked in fifth position.
The Garrington’s report ranked towns, cities and villages on measures covering four categories: physical environment; quality of living; architecture or heritage; and going green. Kidwelly was ranked the highest in the “quality of living” category.
Spend a few minutes speaking to residents and you’ll quickly find out how welcoming the people can be.
Lisa Lloyd manages Kidwelly community hub, which provides services for all members of the community and plays a vital role helping local people to socialise.
“We are an independent organisation that was set up eight years ago, it’s somewhere for anyone in the community to come in for help with lots of different things like computer services,” Lisa said.
“We don’t give any professional advice, but if someone came in and wanted information about different services, we can either point them in the right direction to contact the organisation they need or maybe make them an appointment with someone.
“We have a lot of users coming in to just have a chat and a cuppa. A lot of elderly people are lonely, they just want a conversation and maybe they haven’t seen anybody all week and they come in and have a cuppa and it’s a regular thing for them. They make friends then because they meet people in similar situations and a few friendships have been created.”
Lisa says the town is very community-orientated.
“Location-wise we’ve got history, we’ve got the castle, the history of the canal, the coast, which is a huge draw, so you just have the best of everything here,” she said.
“It’s a small town with history, the coastline is stunning and the beach up the road is seven miles long. The people in the town are very community-orientated. We’ve still got the old town feeling.”
Cecilia Magor, owner of independent coffee shop Time For Tea, said the area had everything she needed on her doorstep.
She added: “I have lived in Kidwelly since 1999. I came to live here because it had a bit of everything, it has newsagents, the butchers, the pharmacy, it’s got everything you need. We’ve got dogs and there’s a lot of lovely walks and a lot of places to go after work, which is nice.
“I guess it’s been named one of the best places to live in Wales because it is! There’s everything you would need in the town but with the beauty of the countryside all into one. I set up business here and I’m still here. I’m not Welsh myself but my husband was and I’ve been welcomed here from day one.”
Edan Davies, owner of Edan Ash Fine Chocolates, an independent chocolate shop and cafe, says the local people are the lifeblood of his shop.
He says Kidwelly being named one of the best places to live in Wales is great for the community, and added: “It’s a fantastic place for my businesses and for everyone around here.
“I think it’s a bit of a shock to people in Kidwelly but from the outside it’s fantastic. I started my shop here because of the history of the town. It’s got a lot more history than your bog-standard town, it’s got loads of medieval history and a general history going back years and years and it’s got its own character.
“The summer is tourists all the time here, we see different people every day.
“I’ll see the locals around Easter time and then all the tourists in the summer, which is good. The locals are the reason why I’m here – if it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t be here, especially with Covid. They are the lifeblood of the shop and then the tourists kind of get the bonus of what the town is keeping in it.”
Local resident Simon volunteers in the town and plays a big part in
community projects. He said: “I’m not from here, but I’ve lived here 10 years. I’m from Carmarthen and I couldn’t afford to buy a house there.
“It was just through fate I ended up here and I just got involved with the community. For such a small town, there’s a heck of a lot going on. I volunteer here because I just want to give back.”
Simon explained why he thinks Kidwelly has been named one of the best places to live in Wales.
“The community,” he said. “The people.
“They could have all the lovely buildings in the world but without the people it would be nothing. Everyone’s friendly, everyone knows each other, there’s a great community spirit for such a small town and there’s so much going on here.
“You’ve got the craft bombing, the carnival, the hub and all the independent businesses. I think more shops would be better, but I wouldn’t want to see character of it lost either.”
Resident Liz Davies has lived in Mynyddygarreg for 12 years and says the fact the area is such an amazing place attracted her here.
Liz said: “The community of Mynyddygarreg and Kidwelly are so close-knit, it’s a beautiful place, right by the sea and countryside.
“We were in Llanelli before and that’s what brought us here. “It’s got what I was looking for when I moved, it’s got community, a beautiful place to live, amazing links, we’re between two major towns and everything is accessible.
“I wouldn’t move away. I’ve found somewhere that fits, fits my lifestyle, which is vital, and a lot of people look for somewhere which they are comfortable and safe and I feel very safe.”
Liz also involves herself with the community. “I’m now a town councilor and I do lots of community stuff in Mynyddygarreg,” she said.
“I involve myself in the community events in Kidwelly as a volunteer and I just absolutely love it. I don’t work anymore so I have time to involve myself in lots of different things.”
It’s a small town with history, the coastline is stunning and the beach up the road is seven miles long. The people in the town are very community-orientated. We’ve still got the old town feeling
Lisa Lloyd